Around eight or nine months ago, Melody Zar Aziz of Great Neck said a friend called her for help. A 21-year-old girl suffering from cancer had three months left in her treatment – but didn’t want to continue because it was so painful.
Aziz said she and a few other friends then decided to get her an iPad, headscarves, stay with her and send meals to her and the girl’s family.
Her friend went on to finish the treatment three months later, Aziz said, and has since been in remission.
“From there everyone asked for opportunities to do more,” Aziz recalled.
The result was the creation of “Foundation of Kindness,” a Great Neck-based non-profit organization awaiting government approval. The goal is to spread kindness to families experiencing hardship, Aziz said, and bring the community together.
“We feel there’s a need to spread more kindness in the world we live in,” Aziz said.
The organization’s public Facebook group, once known as “Great Neck Kindness,” now has more than 1,700 members, while more than 100 people form the core of the organization. Numerous people also reach out daily, Aziz said.
Members have assembled gift baskets for a variety of families and children, including some who are hospitalized, recovering or recently lost their parents. They also offer rides, provide meals to the elderly, routinely visit hospitals and cooperate with other organizations for fundraising.
When asked what the outpouring of support for the group and what it does says about Great Neck, Aziz said it shows how much people care.
“I think it shows that everyone cares for each other and wants to do good,” Aziz said of the group’s support. “I think there needs to be a platform to make it happen, especially for our children.”
The organization plans to package and prepare food for the needy at the Masbia Soup Kitchen in Queens on May 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and host an outdoor workout fundraiser on May 30.
